5 killed in DPU Claymore attack on Ambulance

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 August 2006, 03:22 GMT]A medical doctor, his wife, two nurses and the driver of the ambulance belonging to Nedunkerni hospital, were killed Tuesday night when Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Deep Penetration Unit (DPU) attacked the ambulance, medical sources in Puthukudiyiruppu hospital said. Three Claymore mines in a row were exploded. Meanwhile, a cvilian bus with 75 passengers narrowly escaped another Claymore attack around 12:45, ten kilometers from Nedunkerni ambush site. The SLMM monitors, returning from Nedunkerni, were within one kilometers when the second Claymore explosion took place.

The attack on Ambulance has taken place at Pandarakulam on Nedunkerni Oddusuddan Road when the doctor, Kathirkamathamby Jeyamalina, 68, the only doctor in the Nedunkerni area, was returning with his crew and his wife to Nedunkerni hospital after admitting a pregnant mother at Puthukudiyiruppu hospital around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Jeyamalina Ponnamma, the wife of the medical doctor, Rasalingam Gnaneswari, 22, a nurse, Jehananthan Nahuleswari, 37, nurse and mother of three, and the driver Kasupathy Gopalasundaram, 54, father of three, were killed in the DPU Claymore attack.

Mr. Kathirkamathamby Jeyamalina succumbed to his wounds while he was being taken to Puthudiyiruppu hospital.

Three Claymore mines were exploded in a row. The vehicle was thrown 50 meters away. The attackers had taken position 15 meters from the explosion site. Pieces of wire and biscuits were recovered from a bush, Tamileelam Police said.

12 hours later, at 12:45 p.m. Wednesday, another Claymore mine exploded, 10 km away from the ambush site. This explosion took place when Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission officials were returning after visiting the Claymore explosion site from Nedunkerni towards Puliyankulam. They were 1 km away when the explosion took place.

A civilian bus, carrying 75 passengers, the target of the Claymore, narrowly escaped from the attack. A medical vehicle that was following the bus, was hit. No one was wounded in the attack.

The SLMM officials and the Vavuniya District DPDH Ms. Bavani, were unable to return to their offices due to security concerns, medical sources said. They later returned to Vavuniya.

Mr. Jeyamalina's body was lying at Puthukudiyiruppu hospital. Dead bodies of four, were taken to Nedunkerni hospital.